Combination gas-oil burner apparatus



Jan. 26, 1954 c. c. YO UNG COMBINATION GAS-OIL BURNER APPARATUS Filed Aug. 27, 1952 EYE VTZET ,CZ fi! Char/e5 young Patented Jan. 26, 1954 COMBINATION GAS-OIL BURNER APPARATUS Cyril Charles Young, Kansas City, Mo. Application August 27, 1952, Serial No. 306,683

9 Claims. 1

This invention relates generally to combustion burner units and more particularly to a two-fuel burner unit capable of operating as a combination gas-oil burner apparatus.

According to the general principles of the present invention, a combustion chamber is provided which is adapted to burn one type of fuel such as fuel oil and a flame port is provided for the combustion chamber so that the oil fed flames will be directed outwardly of the combustion chamber through the flame port.

A flame spreader plate, or target plate as it is sometimes known, is positioned adjacent the flame port and is eifectively interposed in the path of the flames exiting the flame port so as to spread the flames outwardly of the flam port.

Conduit means adapted to be connected to a source of gas fuel supply extend through the flame spreader plate and include a gas nozzle which is positioned outside of the combustion chamber and in protected, shielded relation with respect thereto. A second flame spreader plate, parallel to and spaced from the first mentioned flame spreader plate, spreads the flames from the gas nozzle outwardly.

Th usual pilot burner and safety thermal cutoff element are provided adjacent the gas nozzle and in the space between the flame spreader plates.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a combination gas-oil burner apparatus wherein the gas burning means is adequately protected against oil fed flames.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a combination gas-oil burner apparatus wherein the gas burning elements of the apparatus are located outside of the oil combustion chamber.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a burner apparatus having a plurality of spaced apart flame spreaders' with gas burning nozzle means disposed therebetween.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a combination gas-oil burner unit which will enjoy great stability in operation.

Many other features, advantages and additional objects of the present invention will. become manifest to thos versed in the art upon making reference to the detailed description which follows and the accompanying sheet of drawings in which a preferred structural embodiment of a combination gas-oil burner unit is shown by way of illustrative example only.

On the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view with parts broken away and with parts shown in cross section of a combination gas-oil burner unit provided in accordance with the principles of the present invention; and

Figure 2 is a reduced cross-sectional view with parts shown in elevation taken substantially on line 11-11 of Figure 1.

As shown on the drawings:

A combination gas-oil burner unit is indicated generally at I I! and in the preferred embodiment herein shown, an annular vaporizer tray II is included which may be supplied with a vaporizable oil fuel through a conduit I2. It will be understood that the conduit I2 is connected to a suitable source of fuel oil (not shown). The annular vaporizer tray II constitutes the closed end of an annular combustion chamber I3 having an open end providing a flame port I4 and including radially spaced inner walls I b and outer walls I1.

The inner walls I6 comprise a generally cylindrical sleeve I8 which extends upwardly beyond the open end of the annular combustion chamber l3 and which has a convergent tapered portion I9 at the other end thereof firmly engaging the inner annular edge 20 of the vaporizer tray I I.

The outer walls I! comprise a cylindrical sleeve 2I having the edges at one end thereof received in a notched annular recess 22 provided in the outermost edge portions of the vaporizer tray II. The other end of the sleeve M has its edge portions received in an annular recess 23 provided in one face of a cap ring 24. It will be understood that the central opening of the cap ring 24 defines the outer edge of the flame port I4 at the open end of the combustion chamber I3.

The sleeve H is provided with a plurality of apertures arranged in circumferentially spaced relation and aligned on vertically spaced rows. In the preferred embodiment herein shown, three rows of apertures 26, 21 and 28 are provided. If desired, the lowermost row of apertures 26 may be made smaller than the other rows of apertures and the rows of apertures 2'! and 28 may be made of successively larger size.

A generally cylindrical casing 2t surround the combustion chamber I3 and together with the sleeve 2I supports the cap ring 24.

A tubular baffle 36 extends through the center of the tray I i. and is spaced radially inwardly of the inner walls provided by the cylindrical sleeve 8. The. tubular baflie 30 engages the tray II at the inner edge 29. The tubular baille 39 is apertured as at 3 I.

At the upper end of the tubular baffle 30 and.

the cylindrical sleeve it i provided a flame spreader plate 32, sometimes known as a flame target or a. target plate. In this particular embodiment, the flame spreader plate 32 is formed as an annular member having a recess 33 in one face thereof seating the end of the cylindrical sleeve IS and having an opening through the center thereof receiving the end of the tubular baflle 39.

A perforated ring 35 may be interposed between the sleeve is and the tubular baffle 30 so as to provide a restriction in an annular air flow passage 35 formed between the sleeve l8 and the tubular bafiie 3t. lhe sleeve 18 is also provided with circumferentially spaced apertures 3'! which place the annular air flow passage 36 in communication with the combustion chamber l3.

41 in the zone lying between the flame spreader plates 32 and 49. The pilot conduit 52 extends parallel to the gas pipe 415 and is connected to an l. fitting 53 which, in turn, is coupled to a conduit 54 in communication with a supply of gas fuel.

The thermal element 56 of a safety cut-ofi is l positioned directly adjacent the pilot burner BI and the gas nozzle t! and is arranged to be heated by the pilot burner 5! under normal circumstances. It will be understood that the thermal element 55 is connected by suitable means indi- A blower (not shown) discharge pressurized I combustion supporting air into the conduit 38 whereupon the air will flow into the plenum chamber 39 formed by the cooperation of the c, casin 29 and the combustion chamber l3. It

will be noted that air thus introduced into the plenum chamber 39 will flow through the apertures 3! in the tubular baflle :33 so that the air flow passage 36 will also function as a plenum chamber. Thus, the entire combustion chamber H and the apertures 3? provided in the inner walls It will admit combustion supporting air into the combustion chamber 13 so that oil vaporized in the tray il will burn in the combustion chamber 53 whereupon flames produced by such burning will be directed toward the flame port The flame spreader plate 32 extends radially outwardly so as to overlie the flame port l4 and .the open end of the combustion chamber l3,

thereby spreading any flames exiting from the flame port it outwardly.

Conduit means including a gas pipe 46 extend upwardly through the tubular bafiie 3B and extend through the flame port l4 and through the center of the flame spreader plate 32.

pipe 68 is connected at one end to a T fitting il which, in turn, is coupled to a conduit 42 supgas pipe 453 and is positioned outside of the oombustion chamber :3 but adjacent the flame spreader plate 32 so as to be protected and shielded by the flame spreader plate from the oil fed flames exiting the combustion chamber I3 through the flame port M.

A stem 48 extends through the center of. the gas nozzle 4? and carries a second flame spreader plate 49 in spaced parallel alignment relative to the first mentioned flame spreader plate 32.

The gas nozzle i! is arranged between the flame spreader plates 32 and 49 so that the flames emanating from the circumferentially spaced row of gas ports 53 will be spread outwardly by the second flame spreader plate 49.

A gas pilot burner 5! is connected to a, pilot conduit 52 and is located adjacent the, gas nozzle extinction of the pilot burner 5i .the actuation of the cut-off, thereby insuring that cated at El to a conventional cut-off in control of the gas supply to the gas conduit d2 so that will result in no gas fuel will be supplied to the gas nozzle 41 unless such fuel will be ignited by the pilot burner 5|.

Because of the advantageous structural location of the gas nozzle M between the flame i3 is surrounded by a plenum chamber which I 1 extends around the combustion chamber i3 and which also extends through the center of the combustion chamber l3. It will be apparent that the apertures 28, 21 and 28 in the outer walls The gas spreader plates 22 and d3, it will be appreciated that the pilot burner 5i and the thermal element 56 are adequately protected and shielded by the flame spreader plate 32 against the oil fed flames exiting the combustion chamber it through the flameport I4.

Although various minor structural modifications might be suggested by those versed in the art insofar as the preferred structural embodiment herein described by way of illustrative example is concerned, it should be understood that I Wish to embody within the scope of the patent warranted hereon all such modifications as reasonably and properly comewithin the scope of my contribution to the art.

I claim as my invention: 7

l. A combination gas-oil burner unit, comprising, a combustion chamber having a flame port, means supplying oil fuel to the combustion chamber, a pair of flame spreader plates adjacent said combustion chamber and disposed on respective parallel planes generally normal to the axis of said flame port, one of said plates adapted to spread the flames exiting the combustion chamber through said flame port, a gas nozzle positioned between said flame spreader plates, and means supplying gas fuel to said nozzle, the other of said plates adapted to spread the gas flames emanating from said nozzle.

2. A combination gas-oil burner unit, comprising, a combustion chamber having a flame port, a first flame spreader plate adjacent said port and arranged to spread flames passing out of said combustion chamber through said flame port, conduit means extending through said flame port and through said flame spreader plate, a second flame spreader plate disposed parallel to and spaced from said first flame spreader plate, a nozzle on the end of said conduit means and being positioned between said first and second flame spreader plates to direct a flame againstthe second spreader plate, means supplying oil fuel to the combustion chamber, and means supplying gas fuel to the conduit means. I 3. A combination gas-oil burner unit, comprising, a combustion chamber having a flame port, an annular vaporizer tray on the bottom of said combustion chamber, means supplying oil fuel to the tray, a first flame spreader plate ad jacent said flame port, conduit means extending through the center of said tray, through said flame port, and through saidflrst flame spreader plate,v a second flame spreader plate parallel to and spaced from said first plate, a nozzle on said conduit means and positioned between said first and said second flame spreader plates, and means supplying gas fuel to the conduit means, whereby said nozzle will direct a gas flame against said second flame spreader plate.

4. A two-fuel burner unit comprising, an annular combustion chamber adapted to burn a vaporizable fuel, said combustion chamber having radially spaced inner and outer walls and being open at one end, said inner walls projecting beyond said open end and supporting a flame spreader plate which overlies the open end of said combustion chamber and is adapted to spread the flames emanating therefrom, conduit means extending through the center of said chamber and through said flame spreader plate, and a. nozzle to burn a gaseous fuel and being connected to said conduit means, said nozzle being shielded from the flames of the combustion chamber by said flame spreader plate.

5. A combination gas-oil burner unit, comprising, a combustion chamber having a flame port, conduit means extending through said flame port and having a, nozzle on the end thereof outside of said combustion chamber, means supplying oil fuel to the combustion chamber, whereby oil fed flames are directed toward the flame port, means supplying gas fuel to the nozzle, whereby the gas fuel is burned outside the flame port, and a flame spreader plate between said nozzle and said flame port to insulate the nozzle against the oil fed flames and to spread the oil fed flames outwardly of the flame port.

6. A two-fuel burner unit comprising, an annular combustion chamber open at one end and adapted to burn a vaporizable fuel, means providing inner and outer radially spaced walls for said chamber, the inner walls projecting beyond the open end of said chamber, a flame spreader plate on said inner Walls and overlying said open end of said chamber to spread flames exiting therefrom, a conduit means extending through said chamber and through said plate, and a nozzle adapted to burn a gaseous fuel and carried on the end of said conduit means and being shielded from the combustion chamber by said plate.

'7. A combination gas-oil burner unit comprising an annular combustion chamber open at one end and having radially spaced inner and outer walls, means supplying oil fuel to said combustion chamber, a casing surrounding said combustion chamber, the inner walls of said combustion chamber carrying a flame spreader plate overlying the open end of the combustion chamber, said casing together with said plate and said inner and outer walls forming a plenum chamber extending around the combustion chamber and extending through the center of the combustion chamber, said inner and outer walls of said combustion chamber having circumferentially spaced apertures therethrough admitting air from said plenum chamber to support the combustion of oil in said combustion chamber, conduit means extending through the center portion of the plenum chamber and extending through said flame spreader plate, means supplying gas fuel to the conduit means, and a nozzle on said conduit means shielded from said combustion chamber by said flame spreader plate.

8. A combination gas-oil burner unit as defined in claim 7 and a second flame spreader plate parallel to and spaced from the said flame spreader plate to spread the flames from said nozzle outwardly.

9. In a combination gas-oil burner, a combustion chamber having a flame port, means supplying oil fuel to the combustion chamber, a gas nozzle adjacent the flame port but outside of the combustion chamber, means upplying gas fuel to the nozzle, and a flame spreader plate overlying the flame port and interposed between the nozzle and the combustion chamber to shield the nozzle from oil fed flames, and a pilot burner for said nozzle including a safety thermal cut-off element heated by said pilot burner, both said pilot burner and said safety thermal cut-off element being spaced adjacent the gas nozzle and being shielded from oil fed flames by the flame spreader plate.

CYRIL CHARLES YOUNG.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,735,882 Sherman Nov. 19, 1929 1,752,727 Breese Apr. 1, 1930 2,116,840 Lloyd May 10, 1938 2,582,582 Bottom Jan. 15, 1952 

